Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/111

ANDERSON.ANDERSON. gage her to star through the southern states, a venture which resulted in financial disaster. After her return she filled a week's engagement in Louisville in January, 1876, interpreting Evadne, Juliet, Bianca, and Julia. The public found a warm place for her in its big heart, and the critics accused it of being so blinded by the arch beauty of the young actress that it was incapable of correct judgment as to her acting. However, they soon began to speak of her as the "hope of the American stage." She played with stock companies in St. Louis, New Orleans and other southern cities; then two weeks with John McCullough in San Francisco, Cal., where for the first days of her engagement she received the most severe criticism. This, however, wore off, and the last nights of her engagement witnessed crowded houses and enthusiastic applause. On Nov, 12, 1877, she began what proved to be a very successful engagement in New York city, at the Fifth Avenue theatre, and henceforth she was ranked among the leading actresses of America. From this time her career was a series of brilliant triumphs so far as her audiences were concerned; and the critics, although denying her technical accuracy, acknowledged that her youthful crudities were wearing off. She toured the provincial cities of England; played at the Lyceum theatre, London, 1884-'5, and made her first appearance as Rosalind at the opening of the Memorial theatre at Stratford-on-Avon, where her portrait in that character adorns one of the panels. She made a tour of the United States, 1885-86; revisited England 1886-88, and there made a success as Perdita at Henry Irving's Theatre. She returned to the United States in 1888, and in March, 1889, was obliged to cancel her engagements owing to serious illness. She sailed for Europe in April, 1889, and married, June 17, 1890, Antonio F, de Navarro, of New York. She abandoned the stage and became a resident of Worcestershire, England. She published "A few Memories" (1896). See the Stage Life of Mary Anderson (1886), by William Winter. ANDERSON, Melville West, educator, was born at Kalamazoo, Mich., March 28, 1851; son of the Rev. Edward C. and Helen (Best) Anderson. He studied at Cornell university, 1870-'72, but took no degree. After three years spent in teaching and private study, he went abroad and studied literature and history at the universities of Göttingen and Paris, 1875-'77. He was professor of modern languages at Butler university, 1877-'80; professor of English literature at Knox college, Galesburg, Ill., 1881-'86; professor of literature and history at Purdue university, 1886-'87; professor of the English language and literature at the University of Iowa, 1887-'91; and became professor of English literature at Leland Stanford Jr. university, Cal., in 1891. He was married in 1875 to Charlena Van Vleck. He translated from the French, Hugo's "William Shakespeare"(1886); six volumes of the biographical series known as the "Great French Writers" (1887-'89); "Paul and Virginia" (1894); and contributed to The Dial and other periodicals. ANDERSON, Nicholas Longworth, soldier, was born in Cincinnati, O., April 22, 1838, son of Larz Anderson, and nephew of General Robert Anderson. He was graduated at Harvard college in 1858, after which he spent about two years in study at the German universities. Returning to America in 1860, he began the study of law, but on the breaking out of the civil war enlisted as a private. On April 19, 1861, he was commissioned lieutenant and adjutant of the 6th Ohio volunteers; on June 12, following, he was made lieutenant colonel, and in August of the succeeding year, colonel. He was with the regiment in the West Virginia campaign, and shared in all the marches and battles of Generals Buell, Rosecrans, and Thomas, being wounded at Shiloh, and again at Stone River, and at Chickamauga. On March 13, 1865, he was brevetted brigadier-general for gallant conduct at Stone River, and major-general for distinguished gallantry at Chickamauga. The war over he completed his preparation for the bar, to which he was duly admitted at Cincinnati, subsequently removing to Washington, D.C. He died at Lucerne, Switzerland, Sept, 18, 1892. ANDERSON, Rasmus Bjorn, author, was born at Albion, Dane county, Wis., Jan. 12, 1846, son, of Bjorn and Abel Catherine von Krogh Anderson. His parents emigrated from Norway in 1836, and settled in the wilds of Wisconsin. They were the first couple that took up land and abode in the township of Albion. Here, when the son was four years old, the father fell a victim to cholera. The mother lived until 1885, to see her son honored by the country of her adoption. He attended the common schools, and also received instruction from a Norwegian Lutheran clergyman. The Norwegians had founded a college at Decorah, Iowa, and the boy became one of its first students. His progress was remarkable, and in 1866 he was appointed professor of Greek and modern languages in Albion academy. His success at this school attracted the attention of the authorities of the university of Wisconsin, and after a term as a post-graduate student in that institution he was in 1869 made instructor in languages, and in 1875 the professorship of Scandinavian languages and literature was created for him, which he acceptably filled for ten years. He founded a Scandinavian library at the university. From 1885 to 1889 he was United States minister to Denmark, receiving the appointment